Tube reducing machine



April 21, 1959 S. F. GRAVES TUBE REDUCING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1957IS SmueL F. GRAVES,

A TTORNQY.

United States Patent TUBE REDUCING MACHINE Samuel F. Graves, NorthMiami, Fla.

Application September 10, 1957, Serial No. 683,068

1 Claim. (Cl. 113-52) This invention relates to a tube rolling andreducing machine and has particular reference to a machine for reducingthe end portion of a tubular sleeve commonly employed as a soil pipeconnection for toilets.

Heretofore a section of lead pipe, approximately 12 inches long hasconstituted the connection between the conventional commode and theconventional soil pipe and has necessitated the reduction of one end ofthe lead pipe for insertion into the usual and well known brass ferruleand heretofore, it has been necessary to pound or beat the lead pipewith a suitable tool for progressively reducing its diameter and so thatit may be axially engaged within the ferrule for subsequent solderingconnection.

The purpose of the present invention is to quickly and easily reduce theend portion of the lead pipe to an exact diameter, thus resulting in avery considerable saving in time consuming labor and with the resultingproduct having a predetermined diameter such as is capable of engagingwithin the ferrule and providing for a more accurate fit and solderedconnection therewith.

, The invention further contemplates a rotatable mandrel upon which thepipe to be reduced is supported and with a plurality of idler rollersshiftable progressively toward the pipe whereby the rollersprogressively engage the pipe to roll it in conformity with the shapedmandrel, such determining the diameter of the pipe and with the rollersbeing shaped in accordance with the mandrel at its reducing portion.

Novelfeatures of construction and operation of the device will be moreclearly apparent during the course of the following description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has beenillustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like charactersof reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the severalfigures.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a device constructed in accordance with theinvention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially on line3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a view illustrating the initial engagement of forming idlerrollers and with the pipe to be formed being shown in section,

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but with the idler rollersshifted to their maximum position of engagement and with the pipe beingfully reduced in accordance with the contour of the mandrel and,

Figure 6 is a composite view illustrating the pipe to be reduced and thepipe after it has been reduced.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates asupporting frame, supported by legs 6. The frame is provided with across member 7, supporting a journal bearing 8. A similar journalbearing 9 is carried by a cross member 10 of the frame. Rotatable withinthe bearings 8 and 9, is a shaft 11. The shaft 11 forwardly of thebearing 8 is provided with at least one grooved pulley 12 that is drivenby a flexible belt 13, from a prime Patented Apr. 21, 1959 mover 14,such as an electric motor. Beyond the pulley 12, the shaft carries acylindrical head 15 that is of a size and weight to constitute a balancewheel. The shaft 11 is extended beyond the head 15 and is provided witha cylindrical mandrel, indicated as a whole by the numeral 16. Themandrel comprises an elongated cylindrical portion 17, a taper orfrustum 18 and a reduced cylindrical end section 19. The mandrel 16 ispreferably formed of polished metal and the section 17 has a diametercapable of snugly receiving a section of lead pipe 20, see particularlyFigures 4 and 6. The overall length of the mandrel is substantially thesame as the section of lead pipe 20 to be reduced. The drive shaft 11and the mandrel are preferably horizontally arranged.

Disposed at opposite sides of the shaft 11 and the mandrel are fixedcylindrical guide rails 21. The guide rails are anchored at theiropposite ends to the frame, through the medium of suitable upstandingbearing blocks 22. Shiftable upon the rails 21, is a carriage,illustrated as a whole by the numeral 23. The carriage embodies ametallic plate 24, welded or otherwise connected with sleeves 25 thathave traverse engagement with the rails 21 in a horizontal plane. Freelyrotatable upon the forward side of the plate 24 are a plurality of idlerrollers 26, embodying a cylindrical portion 27 and a tapered or frustumportion 28. The rollers are preferably three in number and are disposedin a circle, the axis of which is the same as the axis of the shaft 11.The taper of the portion 28 corresponds to the taper of the portion 18of the mandrel 16, while the cylindrical portion 27 corresponds to thereduced portion 19 of the mandrel. The rollers 26 are axially spacedapart in accordance with the thickness of the pipe to be reduced uponthe mandrel. The rollers are provided with any suitable antifrictionbearings whereby they may be rotatable against flexing and to withstanda compressive action upon the portion of the lead pipe to be reduced.While but three rollers have been illustrated, it will be apparent thatmore rollers can be employed if desired although, it has been found thatthe use of three rollers as the forming medium, has been highly successful.

Also shiftable upon the rails 21, is a second carriage 29, comprising aplate 30, similar to the plate 24 and having guide sleeves 31, similarto the sleeves 25. The sleeves 31 are provided with set screws 32,whereby the carriage may be anchored against movement, for a purpose tobe presently described. Threadedly engaged through the plate 30, as byenlargements 33, is an adjusting screw 34, having a hand wheel 35. Thescrew 34 at its forward end is rotatably anchored in any desirablemanner to the plate 24 and with the screw 34 being disposed at anelevation corresponding to the axis of the shaft 11. With the screw 34connected to the plate 24, it will be apparent that the carriages 23 and29 are initially shiftable in unison. Means are provided to initiallyshift the carriages toward the pipe to be reduced, comprising a lever36, pivoted to one side of the frame 5 at 37 and with the leverintermediate its length being pivotally connected to the carriage 29through the medium of a plate 38. The lever 36 extends outwardly beyondthe opposite side of the frame 5 for manual actuation. The rollers 26are also preferably highly polished.

Operation In the use of the device, the carriages 23 and 29 are shiftedrearwardly along the rails 21 and with the screw 34 being backed away todispose the carriage 23 at its maximum distance from the mandrel 16. Asection of lead pipe 20 is then engaged over the mandrel 16 to a pointof abutment with the head 15 and, in such position the free end of thepipe terminates substantially at the free end of the mandrel asillustrated in Figure 4. The lead pipe may be clamped in any desirablemanner upon the mandrel adjacent the head 15 to prevent any slippageduring the operation. The prime mover is then actuated causing themandrel and its supported pipe 20 to rotate. The operator then shiftsthe lever 36, causing the carriages 23 and 29 to shift along the rails21 to a point where the rollers just begin to touch the free end of thepipe. The set screws 32 are then turned downwardly, fixing the carriage29 against reverse movement. The operator then proceeds to actuate thehand wheel 35, progressively moving the carriage 23 forwardly, andprogressively rolling the lead pipe inwardly to conform to the shape ofthe mandrel. The hand wheel 35 is slowly operated until the rollers 26have fully engaged over that area of the pipe determined by the frustum18 and a reduced portion 19, progressively pressing the pipe inwardly asit rotates and since the movement is axial in its compressing action,there will be no appreciable lengthening of the pipe, as it is packeddownwardly to conform to the frustum 18 and the end portion 19. Afterthe pipe has been reduced, the hand wheel 35 is rotated in a reversedirection, moving the carriage 23 away from the pipe after which thelever 36 is shifted in a reverse direction to bodily move the carriages23 and 29 rearwardly to permit the removal of the formed pipe. It willbe apparent, that before the carriages can be shifted rearwardly, theset screws 32 have been released.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a very novel lead pipereducing mechanism has been employed. The pipe is reduced in a minimumof time and presents a highly finished reduced end that has a minimumexternal diameter capable of a snug sliding engagement within the usualbrass ferrule, where it is subsequently soldered. The structure issimple, strong, durable, cheap to manufacture and results in a verydesirable means for reducing the end portion of lead pipes that havebeen previously cut to determined lengths and reduces the lead pipewithout elongating the pipe beyond its maximum original length.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the preciseconstruction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fallwithin the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scopeof the subjoined claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

A device for reducing one end portion of a cylindrical lead pipe,comprising a supporting frame having journal bearings, a shaft rotatablein the bearings and means for rotating the shaft, a cylindrical mandrelfixed upon a free end of the shaft and rotatable therewith, the mandrelhaving a length corresponding to the length of the pipe to be reduced,the mandrel for its major length being cylindrical and of a diameter toreceive the lead pipe, the mandrel at its forward end having a frustumsection and a reduced cylindrical terminal portion corresponding to theminimum inside diameter of the pipe when reduced, a pair of guide rails,a carriage shiftable upon the rails toward and from the mandrel, idlerrollers carried by the carriage and with the rollers beingcircumferentially shaped in accordance with the frustum and the reducedend of the mandrel and with the rollers having an overall lengthcorresponding to the combined length of the frustum and the reduced endof the mandrel, the rollers being arranged in a circle whose axis is inaxial alignment with the axis of the shaft and the mandrel and with therollers being equidistantly spaced, means for shifting the carriage andits supported rollers for an initial contacting engagement of the endsof the rollers with the end of the pipe to be reduced, screw means forprogressively moving the carriage and its rollers into conformingengagement with the pipe and whereby the rollers traverse the pipecircumferentially and in a longitudinal direction to compress the endportion of the pipe into conforming engagement With the frustum andreduced end of the mandrel, the movement of the rollers longitudinallyof the pipe packing the metal of the pipe against elongation, theinitial shifting means comprising a lever that is pivotally connected tothe frame and that engages a second named carriage shiftable on saidrails whereby to shift the carriages bodily toward the mandrel for theinitial engagement of the rollers, set screws carried by the secondnamed carriage and whereby to fix the second named carriage againstshifting movement upon the rails, said screw means having threadedengagement with the second named carriage and a rotatable engagementwith respect to the first named carriage, a hand Wheel carried by thescrew and whereby the first named carriage is fed forwardly to engagethe workpiece upon the mandrel, an enlarged balance wheel mounted uponthe shaft and that contacts one end of the mandrel whereby to balancethe rotation of the mandrel and to limit the positioning of theworkpiece upon the mandrel, the said carriages being manually shiftableaway from the formed workpiece.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS331,527 Nason Dec. 1, 1885 1,297,819 Perrier Mar. 18, 1919 2,325,522Lauer et a1 July 27, 1943 2,448,983 Johnson Sept. 7, 1948

